29/03/2026
Rutland Trip Report
Day 1 was blown off completely.
Day 2 brought a bright spring morning with a cold west–east wind. My partner headed to Barnsdale. I fished a 12ft Airflo fast sink‑tip with four flies: two shrimps, a Diawl Bach, and a Tequila B***y on the point. Expecting fish in the eastern corner, we drifted through without a touch. The next drift along the northern bank transformed the day — around 100 yards either side of the bird hide the water was alive, and fish were engulfing the Tequila B***y. By lunch I’d landed 13.
After lunch we tried Dickens, but the water was coloured with floating w**d from the strong sun. A couple of fish, then a quick stop at the Monument, though the gusts made it awkward. We finished at East Creek, ending with 30 to the boat. Of my 19 fish, 16 came to the Tequila B***y.
Day 3 started at Dickens with a new partner. The w**d had dropped out, the water had settled, and a steady southerly pushed perfectly onto the North Shore. I switched to a 12ft Airflo slow tip for the overcast light. The first fish came tight to the willows, and another seven followed in the next 90 minutes. Most again fell to the Tequila B***y, with a few to a black UV cormorant on the second dropper.
As more boats arrived, we moved to Barnsdale Steep Bank. With the wind strengthening, I changed to a Di3 with two bo***es and pulled hard. The rainbows here were bigger and fought well in the wind. Another six fish came quickly. A brief look into Barnsdale and Yellowstone produced nothing, and we finished at East Creek. Total for Day 3: 15 fish.
Across the two fishing days, the Tequila B***y with 15mm shimmer in the rear was the standout, taking 90% of my 34 fish.
Shimmer blob is available at https://www.celticblob.com/product-page/15mm-shimmer